The downside of detox

Sunday

Aug 31, 2008 at 12:01 AM

Detox diets typically involve adopting a strict, short-term regimen in which fruit and vegetables in liquid form constitute the majority of food intake — a routine that proponents claim improves health and well-being by removing toxins from the body while aiding weight loss.

Detox diets typically involve adopting a strict, short-term regimen in which fruit and vegetables in liquid form constitute the majority of food intake — a routine that proponents claim improves health and well-being by removing toxins from the body while aiding weight loss.

These diets usually include changes that mainstream medicine advocates, such as eliminating alcohol, caffeinated beverages and processed foods, but dietitians and physicians warn against sudden and drastic alteration of eating habits.

"You don't have to do detox" to take unhealthy foods out of your diet, says Joan Salge Blake, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association. What's more, the body's own mechanism is an efficient detoxifier. "Your liver will do a wonderful job," Blake says.

Extreme changes and highly restrictive diets are not the safest or most satisfactory way to lose weight, according to Blake, who puts the emphasis on "slow and steady" for long-term results.

Disrupting the intake of nutrients needed to keep a body functioning can result in deficiencies that may lead to fainting or, in rare cases, more serious problems.

A juice diet that is low in protein, for example, can result in the breakdown of muscle mass, a particular problem for people as they age.